Saturday, June 16, 2012

Need water?



What is happening nowadays? Sydney has been raining like mad this whole Winter. I remember as a kid, Sydney was as dry as the desert. It was common to have months of dry season on a regular basis. I wonder if global warming and El Nino have any effect on this. The weather just feels different. The Sydney Warragamba Dam is full to the brim. I don't recall ever seeing this happening. Wet weather really is a bummer when it goes on for weeks at a time. The temperature now is a pristine 16 celcius, perfect for a walk around and take some photos, but that ain't happening in this bad weather. There are the odd rainbow here and there in the mornings, which is nice and comforting to see.



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Monday, June 11, 2012

jones The Grocer

jones the grocer is Australia's premium food store concept, they provide gourmet food for every day living. If one were to fully rely on their gourmet food for every day consumption then one should have a fairly deep pocket, not that it is a bad place to shop but it is very premium. They sell all sorts of western grocery from coffee, wine, cheeses, pickled veges, teas, cooking books, pastas, you name it they usually have it, and it's all sorted nicely within the store. The setup of the store is like a big warehouse, once you step foot inside you would immediately take note of the vastness and openess of the store, it gives you a feeling of comfort and honesty. All products are to perfection, and you can never get bored of the coffee there, beautiful latte art and a taste to back it up. It is 'the' place to be for a lazy Sunday brunch.
 
 





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♪ Clique with Music! ♪

Established in 2005 and produced by Esplanade, Mosaic is Singapore’s premier music festival. Held annually in March and spanning 10 days, Mosaic brings to the Singapore audience performances from a wide spectrum of genres - from jazz and world to funk, electronica, folk, indie, R&B and hip-hop. The Mosaic Series is also a platform to showcase established artists outside of the festival period and throughout the year. The festival featured over 100 performances and 60 percent of those were free. Originally Mosaic mainly consisted of jazz, and recently has expanded to include folk and rock acts. They aim to cater to all age groups with different styles of music. The Esplanade also hopes to provide opportunities for audiences to get to know the artists and their music. It provides the artists a free stage and at the same time a free platform for the public to see what young new talented artists are doing.






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Friday, June 8, 2012

Surry Hills, Sydney

Surry Hills is south east of the CBD Sydney. In the old days Surry Hills was a heavily vegetated areas where big mansions were built for the rich. Few decades ago it has declined into a slum area. Because it's centralised location and proximity to the city area, there has been a flood of young and vibrant people into Surry Hills transforming it into a dynamic inner city suburb with art galleries, restaurants, beautiful cafes, bars, and a slew of medical practices. I would not have known this are if not for a doctor that we frequent. There is always a feeling of art and hip in the air, and people that frequent there are more colourful and energetic.














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Thursday, June 7, 2012

Museum quality Nikomat

Recently my Dad presented me with his old Nikomat FT2 along with a Nikon 35mm 2.8 AI, a Nikon 50mm 1.4 AI and a Carl Zeiss Jena 28-200 3.8-5.6 Macro, you can see the actual camera on the top of each page on this blog. Very nostalgic this camera is, holding it in my hands brings back a lot of memories, I learnt photography with this very camera when I was in highschool, I won a certificate in a photography competition in school too, one and only.
Nowadays it can be quite expensive to fiddle with film, given the chance I would like to develop my own black and white at home which I learnt at school. But for now I'll have to settle for digital, I went on ebay to look for an AI to Nex adapter, I found one from Hong Kong for $15 AUD delivered. It came in by post within two weeks, it's not the best machined adapter in the world, its metal and it works, with the slightest bit of wobble, it'll have to do for now. Since the adapter arrived I'm like a kid with a toy, bringing it everywhere and testing out the "new" equipment (the lenses and camera is actually around 30+years old). So far I've only tried the 35mm outside and today I gave the 50mm a run in the backyard, it brings a little bit of film back into my photography, the colour rendition and texture of the bokeh is just something I remember when I used film with these lenses, old school stuff. The lenses lacks a bit of contrast but it isn't anything raw can't fix, fun fun fun.








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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Sydney Pyrmont Grower's Market



This is one of many local markets around the Sydney area. It happens every first Saturday of each month except January. It's located in Pyrmont Bay Park opposite to the entrance of Star City. It provides a chance for the freshest organic food to the public. The produce sold here is not the cheapest, so what makes this market significant  for many people is that the products on sale are restricted by food miles (the distance the product has been transported) meaning what is on offer is local and unique to the Pyrmont Growers Market. Selling local fresh foods directly from farmers to consumers is what farmers’ markets are renowned for all over the world. They offer relief in a society quickly becoming globalised, where local cuisine and custom are eradicated by monoculture and large corporations such as Kellog’s, Cadbury and McDonald’s. There's an air of tranquility and relaxation all around the market, people are having coffee, chatting with friends and farmers, it is more of a gathering than a food market.








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